THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 1, 1995 TAG: 9511300173
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
THEY'RE AN UNLIKELY pair of friends. Ryan Steil is 13, going on 14. Leona Dunham is 89, going on 90.
But then Ryan, the son of Kris and Jim Steil, is mature for his age. The well-mannered, level-headed Independence Middle Schooler is the kind of youngster who makes you remember that there are still plenty of fine teenagers in the world.
Leona Dunham, who lives just down the street from Ryan with her son Earl and daughter-in-law Barbara, looks and acts a lot younger than her years. With her ginger hair, cheerful smile, sharp hearing and good eyesight she could easily pass for a much younger woman.
While Ryan and Leona Dunham have long had a nodding acquaintance, what could have been a real tragedy back on the morning of Nov. 10 has greatly deepened the respect that each has for the other.
``I was off from school that day,'' Ryan said. ``I was riding my bike around, looking for someone to play hockey with and then I heard this fence rattling and the dog barking so I got off my bike and went to see what happened.''
What he found was Leona Dunham lying on the ground next to the fence in her back yard, a neighbor's Rottweiler standing over her.
``I saw her like her coat was hooked on the fence or something and I knew she had to have some help getting up,'' Ryan said. There was a slight problem.
Even though the dog was still on his own side of the fence, the young rescuer had concerns. ``I'm kind of afraid of him,'' Ryan admitted, ``and he was kind of hanging over the fence, in my face.''
Still, he wasn't about to leave his neighbor stranded. ``I just wanted to get her up and get her out of there,'' he said.
Which was exactly what he did.
The dog didn't interfere with the rescue but Ryan quickly discovered another problem. Leona Dunham's coat was torn and her arm was bleeding quite badly.
After helping her into the house and finding no one home, Ryan tried to phone his parents for help. When he didn't get an answer, he called 911 and explained the situation.
An ambulance was dispatched but before they arrived Earl Dunham, who had been working on the far side of his house and had not heard the commotion, came into the kitchen.
Assessing the situation, he canceled the ambulance call and drove Leona to nearby Sentara Bayside Hospital himself where it took 20 stitches to close her wound.
Leona Dunham, who suffers from dementia, isn't really clear about the details of what happened that morning including what may have triggered the dog to bite.
No one else knows for sure, either.
The incident was reported to Animal Control, the dog was observed and judged free of rabies. He's still on the other side of the fence and Leona Dunham has no plans to stay away from him.
``She goes and loves him,'' Barbara Dunham said, adding that while Leona Dunham has always loved dogs, it seems she's even more drawn to them now that her mind is not as clear as it once was. ``It seems as though maybe she can communicate better with them than she can with people. They seem to sense something,'' she said.
What Leona Dunham does remember of the incident is her relief at seeing Ryan.
``I'm glad he came,'' she said. ``I might have been there for a while if he hadn't.''
Last Sunday, the Dunhams walked down the street to Ryan's house to present him with a small reward for his bravery and kindness.
Leona Dunham had a big smile on her face as she gave him a certificate for a U.S. Savings Bond. Ryan, for his part, flashed a bashful grin.
``She really is a very nice lady,'' he said, ``I'm glad I could help her.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
Leona Dunham, 89, awarded a U.S. Savings Bond to Ryan Steil, 13, who
stopped to rescue Dunham from a neighbor's Rottweiler. She required
20 stitches to close a wound in her arm.
by CNB